Out of This World
by lost soul of silver
Summary: The extraterrestrial Meister Astrid was sent to Earth on a mission to save the entire universe from impending madness. But she can't do it alone, and if she fails to trust her new allies, all known worlds will fall into insanity. (Various pairings, including OC/CC pairs) **HIATUS**
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater and never will. This is just a story I wrote for fun because I'm a fan of Soul Eater.**

 **However, I do own various of the OCs used in this story, including Astrid, Leslie Acker, Sabrina, Master Cura, and more to come. The plot of the story itself is also mine.**

 **A/N: Ta-dah! Another multi-chapter and OC-oriented story, this time with Soul Eater! cx Don't worry, though, I'll keep up with updates on both stories, and this one is going to be much shorter than _Unwritten_.**

 **So, I initially started planning this story when I was like 15, and this chapter was written around the time I turned 16** **—which was two years ago. I updated the writing and all that as my skills improved over time.**

 **I'll leave my incoherent rambling for the afterword. XD Please enjoy the story!**

* * *

 **Prologue: Astrid's Pursuit - Is The Witch Innocent or Guilty?**

All eyes were fixed on her.

Glares. Leers. Wide eyes and gaping mouths. They were all directed at Astrid as the crowd of agents parted, creating a path between her and the older man before them all. Taking a breath, she approached him, her pale purple eyes gazing at him with strong determination.

She lowered herself onto one knee before him, placing her right hand over her heart and bowing her head respectfully. "Master Cura," she stated solemnly, "I would be honored to carry out this mission. I vow to protect the planet Earth from this evil organization."

Cura's pale red eyes examined her. Then, behind the high collar of his black cloak, he smiled. "Very well, Astrid. We are all counting on you."

* * *

As the train barreled through the barren Nevada Desert, a woman's scream sounded from one of the cars, silenced by an ear-shattering crack that followed.

Two men stood in the aisle, smoke rising from the bullet hole of the first man's black pistol. They grinned in satisfaction at the glowing light blue ball that floated before them.

"This is the hundredth soul today, James," the second man said, roughly snatching the orb.

James snickered as he began to place his pistol back in its holster. "Excellent. Good work, Cassidy."

"Stop right there," a girl's voice said from behind them.

Surprised, the two men whirled around. Two younger people, a boy and a girl, stood in the doorway of the train car.

The girl appeared to be around fourteen or fifteen, her expression lacking any emotion. Her dead eyes were a pale shade of purple, almost blending into the white sclera. Her waist-length brown hair was held in two low pigtails, her bangs parted down the center and hanging down to her chin to frame her pale face. She donned a tight, long-sleeved, dark blue dress that reached the middle of her thighs; black padding covered her shoulders, chest, and the upper parts of her arms. She wore a pair of dark blue, knee-high boots. A white belt hung loosely around her slender waist. Around her wrists and the tops of her boots were rounded white cuffs, seeming to be constructed of metal. Holding her pigtails were a pair of pale yellow rings that seemed to float around where the hair was held.

The boy was probably around the age of seventeen, standing around seven feet tall—almost two feet taller than the girl. He had dark orange hair in a buzz cut, dark brown eyes, a dark tan, and a bit of stubble on his chin. He wore a white muscle shirt, a dark green camouflage jacket that was unzipped halfway, faded blue jeans with several holes ripped in the knees, and dark brown boots with mud stains. He grinned darkly at James and Cassidy.

"Hey! Who the hell are you?!" James demanded, directing his pistol at them.

"Astrid," the boy said, his voice a thick Flatlander accent, "Ah think dese two guys are dose two outlaws we been hearin' about: Jesse James and Butch Cassidy."

Astrid nodded. "Yes, they are. They are well known for killing the innocent and collecting their souls. It would be doing this world justice if we rid it of these two evil humans."

"Hell yeah, we would!"

"Leslie," she said, her voice containing a scolding undertone. "Weapon form."

Leslie's grin widened. "Right!" He flipped forward; his large body began to glow a dull orange and quickly shrank, taking a different form. Astrid caught the glowing form, flipping it around once in her hand before the light faded. In Leslie's place, she held a Weapon resembling a pistol, with a dull gray coloration, a rounded body, and red circular extensions around the barrel and bullet hole.

Cassidy's black eyes widened. "Whoa. He turned into a gun!"

"I don't even think that's a gun," James said. "What the hell is it...?" His finger began to pull back on the trigger.

In the blink of an eye, Astrid's foot connected with his right cheek. He tumbled onto his back, groaning; when he looked up, the Weapon's bullet hole was pointed between his eyes. She pulled the trigger, and a glowing ball was fired from it, ripping through the outlaw's skin. In seconds, his entire body disintegrated, leaving behind a glowing red soul.

Astrid felt a prick in her shoulder from behind; she winced. Glancing behind her, she saw Cassidy leering down at her, the tip of his dagger digging through her skin.

"Astrid!" Leslie cried.

She watched as the man's smug expression changed to one of stunned confusion. She jerked away, the blade pulling from her skin. Cassidy retreated, staring at her in awe.

"The hell...?" he muttered. He examined the tip of his dagger, his black eyes wide as he noticed a thick, pale yellow substance slowly drip from the point. "How did that not hurt you?"

Astrid's eyes narrowed at him. "That is classified information."

The outlaw snarled, darting at her with his dagger directed at her, the silver blade gleaming in the sunlight that leaked through the train car's windows. "Y-you freak... _I'll kill you_!"

Astrid reached for the cuff on her left wrist, her fingers swiftly moving across the metal surface as if she was pushing multiple invisible buttons. The spots lit up in various colors as she touched them. The man stopped in his tracks as his body grew lighter, drifting upward toward the ceiling.

" _What the hell_?!" he shouted, squirming in mid-air and trying to return to the floor. "What's happening?!"

"I disabled the gravity," Astrid stated simply. Still grounded, she paced toward him.

"W-what?! But how—? Who—?!"

Leslie laughed loudly at Cassidy's loss for words. Astrid directed him at the older man; she yanked on the trigger. A glowing ball of energy ripped through his chest. His body tore apart, vanishing into thin air and leaving behind a second red soul.

The Weapon shone brightly; Astrid released it as Leslie did a flip, returning to his human form.

"Hell yeah!" he shouted, throwing his hands in the air in victory. He snatched the two souls in his large hands. "Two mo' souls. Great job, Astrid!" He shoved the first soul in his mouth, happily slurping it down.

"Thank you, Leslie. You were rather impressive yourself." Astrid reached behind her, gently rubbing the small wound on her left shoulder blade. It managed to heal in the short amount of time since she was stabbed, and now it was merely a tiny slit.

"Are you alright?" Leslie asked. "Dat really looked like it hurt..."

"I am fine."

"Can Ah ask ya somethin'?" He swallowed the other glowing red orb whole, wiping his mouth with his sleeve. "Are ya allowed to tell me how ya heal so fast, or is dat 'curlified infermation'?"

"You mean ' _classified_ information,'" Astrid corrected. "I believe it would not hurt to tell you. You see, my race has plasma flowing through our bodies. The blood that your human heart pumps through your body contains plasma, but it is in lesser amounts and serves a different purpose. The plasma that flows through my own veins acts similar to armor. It prevents me from being hurt by minor wounds such as this." _Though I have to say,_ she thought, _it did hurt somewhat when that man stabbed me._

Leslie chuckled, plopping down on one of the seats. "Cool. It's awesome how much yer alien powers come in handy, Astrid!"

* * *

The train soon pulled to a stop at a small town in the midst of the dry Nevada Desert. There were only about twenty houses, all constructed from brick and seeming to only contain one room each. They were lined in a lopsided, partial oval-shape, surrounding an empty area. Outside the station, a worn wooden sign read, _'Welcome to Salem.'_

Astrid exited the station, Leslie following close behind.

"Well, dis seems like a really borin' place," Leslie commented.

"It appears we'll be here until the train to Death City arrives," Astrid said, pale purple eyes examining the landscape as she paced through the barren town. "This is rather inconvenient. I had hoped we would be enrolled in the academy by now. I cannot afford to waste any time."

He heaved a sigh. "Astrid, Ah don't get why yer so serious all da time. Loosen up a bit."

"Leslie," she replied, "I have a mission to carry out. Of course I am going to be serious."

"What is dis 'mission' ya keep talkin' about?"

"That is classified information."

Leslie's eyes narrowed. "Ah thought you would say dat..." A cloud of dust blew past, hitting his eyes and filling his nostrils; he coughed, waving the airborne sand away with his hand. When he opened his eyes, he took a moment to observe his surroundings. He realized that the town was disturbingly empty, and he and his Meister were the only ones walking the streets. "Hey, Astrid," he said, "do ya think it's weird dat we're da only ones outside?"

"That does not matter to me."

 _Of course it doesn't._ "Well, it matters to me!" He faced the nearest house, marching toward the front door.

" _Leslie_ ," Astrid scolded.

Ignoring her, Leslie raised his leg, slamming the sole of his boot against the door. The weak wood flew off of its hinges from the impact, clattering onto the floor. "Hey! Anyone home?!"

The screams of a shocked family—a mother, father, and two children, both boys—answered his question. They gazed at him with wide eyes.

" _Leslie_ ," Astrid's voice said from behind; her boot struck the back of his head. He cried out in agony, holding his aching skull. "I told you I have a mission to carry out. We must reach Death City as soon as possible. Quit your foolishness."

The father of the family sighed; the other three seemed to relax as well. "Thank goodness," he breathed. "We thought you were the Witch for a second."

Leslie blinked. "'Witch'? What do ya mean?"

The youngest son raised an eyebrow. His older brother leaned toward him and whispered, "They're not from around here. I can tell."

"You see," the mother explained, "a Witch named Sabrina lives here in this town."

"She's bad luck," the father added, his expression grave. "Everyone refuses to leave their homes out of fear."

Leslie shuddered.

Astrid's eyes focused on them, growing interested. _She must be a threat if the residents of this town are frightened by her._ "In that case, we will rid of her, so you can all return to living your lives in peace."

" _What_?!" Leslie cried. "B-but what about dat important mission ya keep talkin' about? Like ya keep sayin', we can't get sidetracked." He chuckled nervously, hoping his Meister would drop the subject.

"Leslie, the Witch they speak of sounds like she has malevolent intentions. It is our duty as a Weapon and Meister team to rid the world of those with evil souls, including Witches."

He moaned. "But Ah don't wanna fight a Witch. She sounds scary..."

"Be quiet." Astrid directed her attention back to the family. "Might I ask where this Witch resides?"

"She lives in the house at the other end of town," the eldest son answered, pointing in the direction opposite from which the Meister and Weapon team came.

"Thank you." She bowed respectfully. "I apologize for my partner's reckless actions. We will rid of this Witch so your town can live in peace."

Leslie whimpered, tears forming in the corners of his dark brown eyes. _Oh, no..._

* * *

"Leslie, quit your complaining," Astrid said, a hint of irritation in her voice, as they trekked across the barren town. Because of Leslie's refusal, she had no other choice but to drag him along behind her by the hood of his jacket.

" _Please_ , Astrid," the Weapon pleaded the whole way, sobbing. "Please don't make me do dis. Dis Witch lady sounds scary..."

Astrid's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "You are pathetic. There is a high probability that you are much stronger than this Witch, yet you are crying like a frightened child." She released her grip on his jacket as they arrived at a small house, identical to the brick structure of the other houses in the town. "I believe this is the Witch's residence the family informed us of."

Laying face-down in the sand, Leslie whimpered. "Dis Witch lady's probably got lots of magical powers. Ah won't stand a chance. Ah'm gonna _die_..."

"Quit worrying. We have easily defeated several humans with evil souls before, so we can defeat this Witch without a problem." The Meister examined the brick house before her. "Now, we need to formulate a plan to corner her..."

Leslie considered Astrid's words, slowly rising from the ground. He wiped the tears and snot from his face with his sleeve. "Let's get dis over with...!" His soft voice grew into a roar as he got to his feet and darted for the front door. His large, muscular body slammed against the wooden structure, causing it to fling open with a loud bang. "Come out, come out, wherever ya are, l'il Witch!"

Astrid blinked. "That method works," she stated simply, surprised by her partner's sudden bravery. She walked to his side, observing the inside of the home.

A girl appearing around sixteen sat on a couch, an open book in her hands. She had straight blonde hair that loosely hung down to her mid-back and a slender figure. She wore a white, short-sleeved shirt; a short, pink, pleated skirt, held up with matching suspenders; white, knee-high socks with light pink frills at the top; and black ballet flats. A pink ribbon tied in her hair pinned her long bangs back from her face, the neat bow it was tied into sticking up to resemble cute rabbit ears. Her large, innocent brown eyes gazed at the pair in bewilderment.

"H-hello," she greeted softly, closing the book. "How may I help you?"

"Quit with the innocent demeanor," Astrid said. "Sabrina, we are aware that you are a Witch. My partner and I will rid of you, so you will no longer terrorize the citizens of this town."

* * *

Letting out a shriek, Sabrina dashed through the town's streets, stumbling over her own feet as she avoided the glowing orbs that continuously struck the ground not far behind her. She stopped beside a house, leaning against the brick wall. Panting, she turned to Astrid, who approached her with her Weapon in hand.

"P-please..." Sabrina begged between breaths. "Please, just stop and hear me out!"

"I cannot do that," Astrid replied. "It is the duty of a Weapon and Meister to rid the world of humans with evil souls, including a Witch such as yourself." She directed her Weapon at the girl. "I will be doing this world justice by taking your soul."

" _No_! I-I'm not..." Panicking, she glanced to either side of her. The residents of the houses near her began to emerge from their front doors, curious of the commotion taking place. With the people closing in on either side of her, Astrid before her, and the wall at her back, there was no escape.

"Hey," one citizen announced, "that girl has the Witch cornered!"

Another snickered. "Poor little Witch," he said sarcastically. "She's defenseless."

"This is our chance! Let's get her!"

The townspeople began crowding around the three, preventing Astrid from delivering the finishing blow on Sabrina. Two men appeared at Sabrina's side, taking her by both of her arms. She struggled against their grip, crying out for them to stop as tears streamed down her face. A third man's fist struck her jaw, silencing her. The two men dragged the girl away, the mob following in a chorus of shouts and violence.

Astrid sighed, her free hand rubbing her forehead. _I did not anticipate this... This may take longer than I had hoped._

The townspeople formed a circle around the center of the town, where Sabrina—covered in blood and bruises—was tied to a wooden pole. She had given up on fighting and allowed the men to constrict her wrists and ankles tightly with a rope behind the stake. Hopeless, she hung her head, awaiting what was to come from the loud, hateful people surrounding her.

"Let's burn the Witch!" a man shouted, his voice standing out from the clamor of the crowd. Several shouts of approval followed.

"Stop," a voice exclaimed. The townspeople quieted as Astrid shoved her way passed them, approaching the girl tied to the stake. She stopped about a foot before her, aiming her Weapon at her target's head. "I will rid of her myself and collect her soul."

The crowd began hollering again—half of the citizens yelled profanities directed at the Witch, while the other half were orders for Astrid.

"Make her death slow and painful!"

"Damn Witch! Rot in hell!"

"Burning her alive would be more torturous! _Stop_!"

Sabrina lifted her head, looking at the Weapon pointed at her face. Sadness clouded her large brown eyes; a single tear slipped down her cheek as she braced herself for her imminent death.

Leslie's face reflected in the Weapon's barrel, his eyebrows furrowed at the girl's innocent face. Her desperate pleas for mercy echoed in his mind. _An actual Witch ain't like dat._

Astrid's finger nudged the trigger.

"Stop!" Leslie cried.

The Meister froze. "Leslie, do not panic now. We must—"

"No, we don't." The Weapon shone and lurched from Astrid's hand, transforming into his human form. "Actually, we _can't_."

Cries of disapproval sounded from the mob.

"Why is that?" Astrid questioned calmly.

"Because she's innocent. She ain't no Witch!"

The townsfolk instantly exploded into an uproar at his proclamation.

"What?!" one man shouted. "How can you tell?!"

Leslie stepped behind the stake, beginning to rip apart the tightly-knotted rope that constricted Sabrina. "It's obvious," he shouted over the crowd. "When y'all were fightin' her while tyin' her to the stake, she didn't use magic to fight back. A Witch as evil as y'all say would've mangled y'all with her magic fer comin' anywhere near her." He dropped the last pieces of rope onto the ground.

Finally free, Sabrina stumbled away from the stake, rubbing at her sore wrists. She turned to Leslie, smiling slightly. "Thank you."

He grinned in return. "No problem, miss."

The angry shouts from the crowd died down into soft murmurs, discussing his reasoning.

 _Leslie makes a good point,_ Astrid thought. _If this girl was a Witch, she would have attacked us when we approached her._

"Alright," Leslie shouted, "y'all move on with yer lives now! Dere's nothin' to see here!"

* * *

"Thank you, thank you, _thank you_!" Sabrina said, tears brimming in her eyes, her grin so wide that her cheeks turned red. "Seriously, I can't thank you two enough for clearing my name!"

The Weapon and Meister pair stood in front of the train station with the teenage girl, a worn and rusty train awaiting the pair.

"It was no problem!" Leslie replied, waving his hand. "Ah'm sorry for breakin' into yer house and accusin' ya."

She giggled. "It's fine!"

"Astrid," Leslie said, eyeing his silent partner, "don't you have somethin' to say, too?"

Astrid nodded, her face remaining emotionless. "My sincerest apologies. My partner has a tendency to jump to conclusions."

"Hey!" he shouted, stomping his foot. "Don't turn da blame on me! You were da one who dragged me after her to go kill her!"

She directed her eyes downward. "I... _may_ have accused you as well. I apologize."

"Don't worry about it. It's fine!"

The train's whistle blared, and Sabrina sighed. "I wish you two didn't have to leave just yet. I was hoping I could invite you both to my house for some tea after your rough day."

"We appreciate the offer, but we must leave," Astrid said. "It is mandatory that we arrive in Death City as soon as possible."

Sabrina's smile faded, curiosity filling her large brown eyes. "Oh, you're heading to Death City? What for?"

"We're goin' to da DWMA," Leslie answered cheerfully. "Ya see, Astrid has a mission, and—" He was interrupted by his own cry of pain as Astrid's foot slammed down atop his own.

"Leslie, that is classified information," Astrid scolded, "and I would prefer if you did not inform everyone. Our train is about to depart, and we must be going now."

"Okay..." he groaned, following the Meister aboard the train.

Sabrina fell silent, her darkened gaze watching the two. However, once she made eye contact with the Weapon through one of the windows, her expression transitioned to a cheerful beam. "Goodbye!" she shouted. "And good luck on your journey!"

Leslie leaned out the window, waving in farewell. "Thanks a lot! You take care of yerself!"

As the train started to pull away from the station, Sabrina ambled away, heading down the streets of Salem.

"The DWMA, huh...?" she mused as she walked. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides, her nails digging into her palms. "Interesting."

After a few moments of remaining silent, she broke into a fit of giggles. Her hands loosened as dark energy began to crackle around them. _Those two were so gullible, believing that I_ actually _wasn't a Witch!_ Her laughter ceased, and she grinned malevolently to herself for the rest of her trip home.

"They're going to regret that..."

* * *

 **A/N: I really hope this makes for a good introduction. I tried to leave a lot of things about Astrid and Leslie a mystery so this entire prologue wouldn't be a crappy info-dump. I hope I succeeded in keeping readers enticed! cx**

 **As I was proof-reading, I noticed that a lot of the content in this chapter is pretty much experimentation for me: the cold opening, characters with quirkier personalities, a main character who's not human, different dialects and manners in speaking... I hope I pulled off these aspects well, considering it's my first time using them. But if I didn't, please let me know what I can improve! c:**

 **Well, I hope to update this story alongside _Unwritten_ , which I've been keeping up with the plan of updating once a month. Anything can come up, though, so I won't make any promises!**

 **Thank you for reading, and please leave a review to tell me your thoughts! :D**

 **~Hayley**

 _ **Note: Please read the notice on my profile before reviewing.**_


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ta-dah! The first official chapter! Astrid and Leslie finally meet the canon cast of Soul Eater. ;D**

 **Oh, and one pretty important detail that I forgot to mention last chapter: _This takes place over a year after the end of the ANIME._ So, yeah, it's definitely not gonna follow the manga (which I still haven't gotten that far into).**

 **Well, onto the story! :D**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Now Entering DWMA - The Odd Weapon and the Girl from Beyond This World?**

"Lord Death," Astrid greeted, standing before the Grim Reaper in the Death Room of Death Weapon Meister Academy. She bowed to him respectfully, her right hand overlapping her heart. "My name is Astrid, and I am an agent and Meister from the organization Aequitas Equitas on the planet Lacuna. It is an honor to meet you."

Death studied the Meister, his black form bouncing slightly with glee. "Well, it's very nice to meet you, Astrid! I'm very glad that you decided to join the academy. It's definitely not everyday we get a student from another planet!"

Astrid nodded. "I believe I should explain why I am enrolling here at Death Weapon Meister Academy. You see—"

"Hold on a second," Death interrupted. He glanced frantically around the Death Room, the eyes of his white skull mask displaying his confusion. "Er... don't you have a Weapon partner?"

"Yes, I do." Sighing, she rubbed one of her temples with her fingertips. "But... he appears to have wandered away yet again."

* * *

" _Yahooooooo_!" Standing atop the academy's roof, Black Star stretched his arms out toward the pale blue morning sky in excitement. "Hurry up and get here, new kids! I, the great Black Star, will show you both that you cannot outshine me!"

Tsubaki approached him from behind, grabbing one of his arms in a scolding manner. "Black Star, calm down! There's no reason for you to get into another fight again. Now, can we _please_ get to class?"

Maka heaved a sigh, watching from afar as the Meister argued against his Weapon partner's pleas. "I can't believe Black Star's going to start a fight with the incoming students. It's so ridiculous how he can't stand not being the center of attention..." She turned to Soul, who leaned against the side of the building. " _Please_ tell me you're not going to fight alongside him again, Soul..."

A soft chuckle sounded from her Weapon partner's throat; he shoved his hands in the pockets of his light brown pants. "Nah. When Kid first came here, I just decided to play along with Black Star's little game. I don't wanna fight these new kids because... well, I don't have anything against them. I don't even know anything about them."

"That makes sense," Maka said, nodding in understanding. "Now that you mention it, I think I _have_ heard a few details about them..." Trying to remember the rumors she heard circulating around the academy, her green eyes rolled toward the sky in deep thought. "Well, I've heard that the new students are an 'odd Weapon' and a 'girl from beyond this world'... but I don't know much else."

"An odd Weapon and a girl from beyond this world..." Soul repeated, then he chuckled. "They sound like a pretty weird team."

As he said this, a bellowing cry from below echoed.

* * *

" _Woohoooooo_!" Leslie cheered as he burst from the academy's front doors. He pranced down the steps, spinning on his heel to face the large, skull-adorned building. Throwing his arms into the air, he let out another enthusiastic cry. " _Wow_! Ah've never seen a buildin' dis big in mah _life_!"

Lowering his arms, he let out a content sigh. He turned away from the academy building, walking toward the seemingly-endless stairs that lead up to the school grounds he stood on at that moment. His dark brown eyes scanned the horizon line, admiring Death City's rows of houses and cobblestone streets, the wispy clouds in the morning sky, the Sun laughing overhead—though if it was laughter of malevolence or joy, no one was ever sure. Smiling, he inhaled deeply through his nose, taking in the newly-discovered scent of the large city.

 _Actually, Ah've never even been in a city like dis before. Ah've lived on mah family's small farm in Kansas mah entire life; the only things Ah've ever seen were small houses, flat plains, and cows and chickens and other farm animals... Dis is so much different from dat, though. Ah'm_ definitely _not in Kansas anymore!_

Loud yelling from behind interrupted his serene moment. Startled, Leslie whirled around just as Black Star landed square on his feet on the cobblestone ground about a yard away from him. Rising from his crouched position, the Meister shot an intimidating scowl at the new student.

"Look here, new kid!" he shouted, pointing at Leslie. "I am the great Black Star, the most amazing Meister to ever attend this academy, and the one who will surpass God one day! I am the _only_ star at the DWMA, and now, you and your partner have been taking the spotlight away from _me_! Nobody is permitted to—"

As the unfamiliar boy rambled on, Leslie simply gaped, blinking a couple times in confusion. _Ah don't know what dis guy's talkin' about... but dis looks like mah chance to make mah first friend here!_ A large grin spreading across his face, he approached the light-blue-haired Meister. "Hey there! It's nice to meet ya! Ah'm Leslie Acker, and Ah'm new to dis fine academy, so—"

Black Star's fists connecting with the Weapon's abdomen cut him off. A powerful surge of energy burst through his body upon impact, and he was thrown back, landing flat on his back on the ground.

He almost immediately recovered, shooting into an upright sitting position. "Now, what da _hell_ was dat for?! Ah was just tryin' to be polite!"

"'Polite'?!" Black Star retorted. "You interrupted me in the middle of my speech! Now, listen up, new kid: I'm gonna kick your ass, right here, right now! And tomorrow, the only word in the halls you'll be hearing will be about me, the amazing Black Star!"

"A fight, huh?" Leslie's face broke into another grin as he heaved himself to his feet, positioning himself into a fighting stance. "Dat's not how Ah planned to start mah first day here at dis school, but since yer an _asshole_ , Ah accept yer challenge! _Bring it on_!"

* * *

"Anyway," Death continued, returning his focus to the extraterrestrial girl, "sorry for the interruption, Astrid. You were saying?"

"Ah, yes..." Astrid stretched the tight, dark blue fabric of her dress's neckline away from her body, reaching her free hand down the opening she made and groping for something. After a moment of searching, she drew out a necklace, displaying the pendant to the Grim Reaper. The pendant was in the shape of a pale pink star, with four long points sticking out in each direction and four shorter points between them.

"As I mentioned before, I am an agent from Aequitas Equitas, an organization based on my home planet, Lacuna. This here is my organization's symbol. Our purpose is very similar to the purpose of Death Weapon Meister Academy—to eliminate those with evil souls, creatures you refer to as 'Kishin' here on Earth."

Death nodded slowly, showing his understanding. "Hmm, I see... I didn't realize there were organizations just like this one on other planets as well! How fascinating!" He chuckled a bit at the realization; then he cleared his throat. "I'm sorry. Go on..."

Though she nodded in response, she averted her pale purple eyes to the floor for a moment. _Speaking about this to Lord Death is much more difficult than I expected. This is bringing back painful memories..._ Swallowing, she redirected her gaze to Death's. "You see, a few months ago on Lacuna, Aequitas Equitas discovered the motives of an evil organization, Virtus. For years, without our knowing, this organization has been housing and training those whose souls have strayed onto the path of evil, creating the powerful Kishin that walked the planet and killed the innocent."

She paused, taking a breath before continuing with her explanation. "However, as soon as we realized their motives, we discovered that they were putting a new plan into action: they have set their sights on Earth, and they plan to perform the same evil acts here on Earth that they performed on Lacuna. Virtus is headed for Earth as we speak, and they could arrive at any ungiven moment.

"That is the reason why my Weapon and I are enrolling in Death Weapon Meister Academy. I was assigned a mission to defeat this evil organization before they can swallow the entire universe in their madness. My partner and I wish to hone our skills at this academy in preparation for Virtus's arrival."

"Oh, my..." Death muttered, fidgeting side-to-side. "That _is_ a problem."

"Lord Death," Astrid said, regaining the Grim Reaper's attention, "I would also like to ask a favor of you."

"Of course. What is it?"

"I would prefer if you would keep the details of my mission a secret from the students and faculty here at Death Weapon Meister Academy. This situation with Virtus is _my_ fight, and I do not want anyone to become entangled in it."

* * *

Maka sighed. "Well, here he goes again..."

"Yeah," Soul agreed. "Starting another pointless fight."

The Weapon and Meister team, along with Tsubaki, had traveled down from the roof to get a better view of the fight that was about to commence. While Maka and Soul were more annoyed with Black Star, Tsubaki watched worriedly as her partner and Leslie positioned themselves into fighting stances, exchanging intimidating looks.

Black Star let out a cackle. "You look so weak! You'll _never_ stand a chance against me!"

"'Weak'?" Leslie chuckled. "Well, Ah guess mah jacket _does_ hide mah body..." He reached for the zipper of his camouflage jacket, unzipping it and flinging it off with one swift movement. With the garment removed, he was left with only his white muscle shirt, revealing his muscular build for all to see. His arms, from his shoulders to his wrists, were large with his bulging muscles; his toned pecs and six-pack abs could be seen through the thin fabric of his shirt.

Maka, Soul, and Tsubaki stared in awe; Black Star didn't even flinch.

Grinning, Leslie flexed his arms and cracked his knuckles. "Ah'm guessing ya got dose muscles from actually workin' out, right? Well, Ah got _dese_ from growin' up on da farm back in Kansas—from wrastlin' cattle and hogs, luggin' around heavy equipment, fist-fights with mah pa... Livin' like dat is a work-out all on its own!"

"None of that makes a difference," Black Star snapped. "I'm still going to kick your ass!"

Leslie chuckled again, returning to his fighting stance. "Whatever ya say, runt. _Let's go_!"

The two sprinted toward each other, officially beginning the fight. Black Star threw the first punch; Leslie didn't bother to dodge. The Meister's fist connected with his abdomen, but it didn't seem to have any effect on the larger boy. With a cocky smile, the Weapon made his move, jabbing his elbow toward Black Star's face, only to meet the air as the light-blue-haired boy ducked. Leslie stumbled but quickly regained his footing.

As they continued dueling in this fashion, Maka watched, her green eyes wide. "Wow... The fight just started, but I can already tell a lot about that boy's style of fighting."

Tsubaki nodded, examining the brawl with just as much interest. "I can, too. His fighting style has its strong and weak points, though, as you can expect. His muscular build allows him to endure more hits than the average person, making that his strong point. His large structure can also be a weak point, though—it prevents him from moving too fast and decreases his flexibility."

"Still, Black Star and the new kid seem about evenly matched," Soul added.

"Hey, you guys!" a joyful girl's voice shouted as she approached them from behind. Patty bounded to Maka's side, greeting her with a large, child-like grin. Liz and Kid appeared at the young blonde's opposite side, moving at a much slower pace.

"Did we miss much of the fight?" the older Thompson sister asked.

Maka smiled. "No, it just started, actually."

"I didn't really care to see this ridiculous fight," Kid remarked, his left eyebrow twitching in annoyance, "but I needed to bring Professor Stein down here. You know the rule: two students cannot fight on campus if a professor isn't present."

As the young Grim Reaper completed his statement, a surprised shout from behind caught the group's attention, followed by a series of crashing sounds and grunts. The Weapons and Meisters turned around to find Professor Stein collapsed on the ground at the foot of the steps, his black caster-wheel chair toppled over on top of him. The students chuckled nervously as the professor rose to his feet and positioned himself back on his chair.

"So, that large boy is one of the new students that was supposed to arrive today?" he inquired, rolling to Maka's opposite side.

"Yes, he is."

With a small "hmm" in response, Stein examined Leslie from behind his wire-rimmed glasses. His green eyes widened slightly. "Maka, have you taken a good look at that boy's soul yet?"

"Oh, no, I haven't." _That's a good idea. Then I can figure out what kind of person this new student is..._ She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing her soul perception ability on Leslie as he continued fighting Black Star. They then snapped open; she could read the soul within him perfectly.

She noted that his soul was dark orange in color and larger than a normal human's—that fact didn't surprise her, considering the size of his physical form. There was another trait about his soul that caught her off-guard, though: the light emanating from it was very dull, unlike any other soul she had ever witnessed.

"It appears... faded," Maka said, a hint of confusion in her voice. "I've never seen anything like it before. What does it mean, Professor Stein?"

"That is correct. A faded soul is rare; I've seen it very few times myself. Usually a soul acquires a faded appearance when the person takes in large amounts of dangerous substances."

"'Dangerous substances'?" Kid repeated, taking a moment to think. Then, with a grave look in his yellow eyes, he turned to the professor. "You mean like drugs?"

Stein nodded. "Yes, that is exactly what I mean."

"So, are you saying this new kid is some asshole stoner?" Soul asked, a bitter tone in his voice.

"Not necessarily. Looking at his soul, I can see that he's trustworthy and caring, yet over-emotional and wild. His soul doesn't give off a bad vibe at all."

"Besides, doing drugs doesn't make a person bad," Liz piped in. "I met a lot of drug addicts when I lived on the streets, and some of them were pretty nice."

Patty giggled.

Listening to the comments around her, Maka's eyebrow twitched. "None of that should even matter. We shouldn't judge him before we even know him..."

As the group discussed this, Leslie and Black Star continued to fight. The smaller boy's fists persistently struck his opponent's rock-hard abdomen but to no avail. Beads of sweat began to drip from his face, and his breathing grew more shallow. Noticing his movements slowing down, the Weapon smirked.

"Growin' tired, are ya?" he taunted. "Looks like it's time to finish dis..."

In one swift movement, Leslie dropped to the ground, sweeping his leg outward and knocking Black Star off of his feet. The Meister fell on his back with a cry of surprise. As he sat up, his glaring blue eyes met Leslie's dark brown ones.

"Don't think you've won! This isn't over yet!"

Leslie's smile faded. "Yer right. It's not over." Then, raising his leg until it was nearly parallel with his body, he said, "It won't be over till after _dis_!"

"Stop right there, Leslie."

He froze at the sound of the voice. Slowly, he turned his head to the doors of the academy building, where Astrid stepped out and advanced toward him. The stern undertone in her voice, as well as the exasperated glint in her emotionless, pale purple eyes, made his heart stop. _Aw, shit..._

The small group of spectators divided, allowing Astrid to pass through them. Picking up on the extraterrestrial girl's soul response, Maka's green eyes grew to the size of saucers.

The unfamiliar girl's soul gleamed a pale purple hue, with two extensions that resembled the pigtails of her physical body, and radiated in a way that made it seem to be shaped like a star. It _looked_ like a human soul, no different than Maka's. But something else about it didn't _feel_ human. Was it the larger-than-normal size? Was it the way it radiated? Was it the strength of the soul response? She couldn't put her finger on a possible explanation.

"Maka, are you alright?" Soul asked, placing his hand on her trembling shoulder.

"Her soul..." was all she could manage to say. Speechless, the Meister faced Stein, hoping for an explanation.

Judging just from the professor's facial expression, he didn't seem to have a clue, either. He gazed at Astrid in awe, his brow furrowing as he read her soul response. "I've never seen anything like it before..." he muttered.

"Seriously?!"

"What is it?" Soul demanded. "Are you trying to say that girl's not human?"

Hearing Soul's inquiry, all eyes were torn away from the interrupted fight and directed to Stein, intrigued.

Stein shook his head. "You're right on that part. That girl's definitely not human."

"What is she, then?" Tsubaki asked.

The older man shrugged, cranking the screw lodged in his head as he considered the question. "For once, I have no idea. I've never picked up a soul response like this before. But... how should I put this? I pick up a similar reading from that girl's soul that I pick up when reading Kid's soul—which is to say, it's not human, but it's not necessarily unsettling or malevolent."

Giving Stein's statement some thought, Maka returned her attention to the scene before them, focusing more intently on Astrid. _So, she looks human, but she's not... And she's not a Grim Reaper, Witch, or monster, either... What could she possibly be?_

"Leslie, quit acting so foolishly," Astrid scolded, stopping before her Weapon partner. "There is no reason to be fighting right now."

"But _Astrid_ ," Leslie complained, lowering his leg. "Dis guy right here was da one who started it! Ah didn't do nothin' but defend mahself!"

"Even if he was the one who picked the fight, you should have taken the more civilized route and walked away. The only thing you are doing is wasting time and making a complete fool of yourself. Now, grab your jacket and we will return to the apartment. I just spoke with Lord Death; our first official day is tomorrow."

Leslie sighed, sulking. "Alright..."

Before the Weapon could pick up his jacket, Black Star interrupted, hopping to his feet. " _Hold up_!" He jabbed a finger at Astrid, who simply stared at him with disinterested eyes. "Who the hell do you think you are, interrupting our fight?!"

The female Meister opened her mouth to respond, but Leslie interrupted.

"Oh, dis girl?" he said with a smirk, placing his large hand on her shoulder. "Well, she's mah smokin'-hot alien girlfriend—"

Astrid's elbow connected with his crotch, causing Leslie to cut himself off with an agonized groan. Sinking to his knees, he moaned, "Ah was just jokin'..."

"' _Alien_ '?" a chorus of surprised voices repeated.

 _That girl's an alien...?_ Maka thought, stunned. Her mind connected the word with the phrase she heard being passed through the hallways: _"The new student is a girl from beyond this world..."_

Something clicked together, and it all made sense: the new Meister didn't have a human soul, because she wasn't human. She was from a planet distant from Earth.

"Whoa..." she muttered. She turned left and right to observe the reactions of her fellow classmates, but she quickly realized that they were all huddled around Astrid. Only Stein remained by her side, staring at the new Meister with a strange expression—the expression he typically wore when he was fascinated by a subject and was trying to control his urge to immediately dissect it.

"You're an _alien_?!" Patty exclaimed, her curious face merely centimeters away from Astrid's. "That's _soooo_ cool! I've never met an alien before! What planet are you from? Mars? Jupiter?"

Liz appeared over the Meister's shoulder, stroking one of her long brown pigtails. "I can't believe you're actually an alien... You're so _pretty_! You look just like a human!"

"A girl from another planet at DWMA?" Soul mused as his signature shark-tooth grin broke upon his face. "That's really cool, man."

Black Star scoffed, shoving the others away from Astrid so he could get in her face. "Can't believe you idiots are falling for this lie! She's obviously just trying to steal the spotlight from _me_!" He then jabbed a finger in the girl's face. "Who are you trying to fool, new kid?! You're obviously not an alien! Anyone with a brain knows that aliens have scaly green skin, over-sized heads, webbed hands and feet—"

" _That's enough_!" Tsubaki shouted suddenly, stunning everyone into silence. "Stop harassing her! Can't you tell that you're making her uncomfortable?!"

 _How can you even tell?_ Soul thought, observing Astrid's emotionless demeanor. _This girl's had the same deadpan expression since she got here..._

Everyone took a step back from Astrid upon Tsubaki's command. With a sigh, the female Weapon then approached the younger Meister, bowing before her. "I'm so sorry about the behavior of my friends and Meister..."

"Your apology is accepted," Astrid stated. "I am rather used to the bewildered reactions by now."

Tsubaki beamed. "I'm Tsubaki, by the way. I'm a Weapon here at DWMA."

 _Perhaps this girl is the only civilized human at this academy..._ Astrid thought. Then, placing her right hand over her heart, she bowed her head. "It is a pleasure, Tsubaki. I am Astrid, and this"—her eyebrow twitched slightly as she indicated her partner—"is my Weapon partner, Leslie Acker."

"Howdy!" Leslie greeted with a wave and a wink, earning a giggle from Tsubaki in response.

Black Star's cackling interrupted the moment. "Hahaha! Your name's _Leslie_? T-that's a girl's name...!" He clutched his aching abdomen in his hands. His laughter didn't even cease when the Weapon towered over him.

"You makin' fun of mah name?" he said, his expression dark and stony as he looked down upon the Meister.

"No, not at all..." Black Star wiped a tear from his eye as his cackling died down into softer giggles. "It's fitting, actually. It's the perfect name for a perfect _wuss_!"

Leslie growled as his hands entangled around the blue-haired boy's neck. "Dat's it, ya l'il runt! _Ah'll kill ya_!"

" _Let go of me, asshole_!"

With a squeal, Tsubaki rushed over to the quarrel, attempting to break the boys away from each other. "Knock it off, you two!"

Astrid sighed, rubbing both temples with her fingers as she faced the rest of the group. Maka and Stein approached at this moment, the professor rolling toward her.

"Astrid, is it?" He extended his hand to her. "It's a pleasure to have you attend our academy. I'm Professor Stein. I believe you'll be attending my class starting tomorrow?"

"Yes," the Meister replied with a nod. She took his hand in hers, bowing her head to him. "It is a pleasure to meet you as well, Professor. I appreciate your kindness." _He appears to be rather normal, as well._

Stein snickered, and she looked up at him. He had a rather disturbing look in his green eyes, and his lopsided smile twitched at the corners. "Your hand is cold, unlike a human's..." he muttered, his attention focused on their touching hands. His grip tightened, his body trembling with excitement. "Blood doesn't flow through your veins, does it? How _does_ your body operate, then? Ah, you'd make a fine specimen to experiment on..."

 _Or perhaps not..._ Receiving bad vibes from the man, she yanked her hand away; he seemed to relax a bit now that they were no longer in contact. She took a step back and cleared her throat. "Well, I believe I should apologize for any trouble my partner may have caused. I hope you will not hold any of this against him."

"I don't think there's any need to apologize," Maka said with a wave of her hand. "It was _Black Star_ who started the fight, after all..."

In the midst of all the commotion, Kid remained silent, observing Astrid with curious yellow eyes. When she finally faced him, his heart nearly stopped.

Her evenly-styled hair, her erect posture, the balanced design of her attire... She was perfectly symmetrical.

Joy flooding him, Kid rushed forward and grabbed both her hands in his. " _Astrid_ —" he blurted in her face, and the rest of what he wished to say caught in his throat.

She blinked. "Yes?"

He swallowed, beginning to tremble with excitement. Still clutching her hands, he fell to his knees. He gazed up at her as he declared, "You are absolutely _perfect_! Your appearance is perfectly symmetrical! Is everyone from your home planet as beautiful as you are?! Never in my life have I met _anyone_ who embodies such perfection!"

Astrid yanked her hands away. "I... I apologize, but—"

"I know, I know..." Tears formed in his eyes; he lowered his head, sulking at her feet. "I'm not worthy of speaking to someone as perfect as you. I am asymmetrical _garbage_..."

Heaving a sigh, Liz approached Kid from behind and grabbed the collar of his jacket, dragging him away. "Alright, Kid, that's enough of your little meltdown. You're freaking out the new girl."

Patty cackled.

"You guys really aren't keen on making good first impressions, are you?" Maka let out an exasperated sigh as she stepped forward. Grinning as she held out her hand, she said, "It's very nice to meet you, Astrid. I'm Maka Albarn, a scythe Meister."

Soul jabbed his thumb toward himself. "And I'm her cool Weapon. The name's Soul Eater."

Astrid grasped Maka's hand and gave an acknowledging nod to them both. "It is a pleasure."

"And I know you're already familiar with Black Star and his partner, Tsubaki. No introductions needed there..." Cringing, Soul pointed to the ninja duo, who were associating with Leslie. Leslie had the palm of his hand pressed to Black Star's forehead as he effortlessly held him away at arm's length, the smaller boy shouting and fighting against him. Simultaneously, he spoke to Tsubaki, a flirtatious smile playing at his facial features; Tsubaki seemed oblivious, interpreting this as merely a friendly conversation with no underlying intentions.

Dropping Kid on the ground at her feet, Liz piped in, "I'm Liz, and this is my little sister, Patty." She placed her hand atop the younger Thompson sister's head.

" _Haaiii_!" Patty greeted cheerfully, waving her hand erratically.

The older girl's face fell as she pointed at her sulking Meister. "Oh, and this is my total wreck of a Meister. Just ignore him..."

"It is a pleasure," Astrid responded with a nod toward each of them. "Now, Leslie and I shall be leaving now."

" _Whaaaaaat_?" Leslie whined, directing his attention from Black Star and Tsubaki to his Meister; the assassin fell face-first on the cobblestone ground when the larger boy suddenly released him. "But Ah wanted to hang with dese guys fer a while longer..."

"That cannot be done now. We must return to the apartment to prepare for tomorrow."

Because he knew arguing would get him nowhere, Leslie instantly gave in, sulking. "Alright..."

The pair proceeded toward the academy's descending staircase; the Weapon whirled around to face the group one last time, waving. "Goodbye, everyone! See ya'll tomorrow!"

A chorus of farewells sounded as the two started down the long set of stairs.

"Dey seem like nice people, don't dey?" Leslie said cheerfully as he followed his Meister. "Can't wait to become friends with all of dem!"

"Some of them are rather pleasant," Astrid stated plainly, "but they are irrelevant."

"What do ya mean, Astrid?"

"The students here are irrelevant to my mission. I do not wish to become acquainted with any of them."

* * *

"Ahhh, dere's no place like home..." Leslie let out a satisfactory sigh as he collapsed back onto his bed in the team's newly-rented apartment. He was fully prepared for bed, donning only his gray boxers; his lack of clothing revealed the ghostly white skin on his muscular chest, stomach, back, legs, and feet, standing out in stark contrast against the dark tan the rest of his body portrayed.

Due to the apartment's small size, it only contained four rooms: the living room, a small kitchen, a closet-sized bathroom, and a single bedroom. The duo shared the bedroom, dividing it down the center—the left side was Leslie's, the right side Astrid's. Both sides only housed the essential furniture: a bed pressed into the corner, a nightstand with a lamp atop it, and a small bureau in the corner opposite the bed. While Astrid's side was neatly organized and simply decorated in blue and white, Leslie's side had managed to become a mess in less than a day, his camouflage bed covers a tousled mess and his clothes thrown haphazardly about.

"Ah'm so excited fer tomorrow! Ah was home schooled mah entire life, so Ah can't _wait_ to start mah first day at an actual _school_." He rolled over on his side to face Astrid, who was preparing for bed herself. She had already changed into an over-sized purple t-shirt with a yellow star emblazoned on the front and a pair of white socks, and she had let her hair loose from its pigtails and now struggled to style her long locks into a bun. "Hey, Astrid?"

"Yes?"

"Are dere schools on yer planet?"

The extraterrestrial shook her head. "My own planet lacks facilities that specialize in education, unlike this planet. However, for the first ten years of my life, I was raised in an institution, and I periodically attended required classes. I would not label such a place as a school, though. It is probably most similar to..." She trailed off as her brow gently furrowed. "What are those facilities here on Earth called? Where children are raised if their birth givers are no longer present?"

Leslie hesitated, trying to think of the word himself. "Ya mean an orphanage?"

"Yes. I was raised in an institution similar to that."

"So, in a way, you were home schooled just like me?"

"Yes, I believe you could say that."

The boy's face lit up. "Dat's awesome! So it's da first day of school fer both of us! Are ya as excited as Ah am? We're gonna make so many new friends, and have so many fun times, and—"

"No."

And just as quickly as his joy had filled him, it completely dissipated, as if a switch controlling his emotions had flipped within him. "W-what?"

Her hair piled atop her head, Astrid tried to wrap it in place with a hair band. "Attending the academy is merely the next step in my mission here on Earth. I do not intend to become acquainted with any of the students; they would only distract me."

" _Seriously_?" Leslie sat upright in his bed. "But dat takes all da fun out of goin' to school! Ah know some of dem are total assholes or just plain weird, like Black Star or dat Reaper guy, but Ah think you'd make great friends with some of dem. Like, what about Maka? Da two of ya seem like you'd get along well. And Tsubaki's super nice, too. And—"

"Be quiet, Leslie," Astrid interrupted in a firm voice. Her hair continued to fall out of place; she gathered it in her hands once again each time, clearly unable to tie the hair band around it. "Nothing you say can change my mind. I refuse to become acquainted with anyone who attends the academy, and I recommend you do the same."

" _What_?! Why?!"

"We are a team, Leslie. If you are distracted by any possible companionships, we will both suffer in the long-run. We must focus on my mission and nothing else. Is that clear?"

"No, it's not!" Leslie leaped onto his feet, towering over his Meister. "Ah don't understand how dis 'mission' of yers won't let ya loosen up and have fun! A-and ya won't even _tell_ me what yer mission even is! How can Ah focus on somethin' dat Ah don't even know nothin' about?!"

"We have been over this: I cannot tell you my mission. The details are—"

"' _Petrified incantation_ ,'" he completed for her in a mocking voice. "Yeah, yeah, Ah _know_! Ya say dat all da time!"

Astrid's pale purple eyes narrowed at him. "It is 'classified information,' actually."

The Weapon let out a frustrated shout, falling back onto his bed. He sat there for almost a full minute, elbows propped on his knees and his face in his hands, seething. The veins in his muscles popped out and retracted repeatedly. Slowly but surely, his anger faded away, and he released himself from his position. However, his face still held a look of hurt and rage when he looked back at his Meister.

"Astrid..." he breathed. "Sometimes Ah wonder if ya even trust me at all."

Astrid felt a sharp pain within her, as if his words had physically stabbed her. Overcome by her shock, she let her long locks fall back down, shielding part of her face.

Leslie shut off the lamp on his half of the room, leaving only her side illuminated by a dim light. She heard the sound of his tousled bed covers rustling as he settled underneath them, and his loud snores followed shortly after.

Meanwhile, she sat in stunned silence for an unbearable amount of time, not moving until she finally mustered the energy to turn off the lamp and crawl into bed.

* * *

 **A/N: So, a bit has been revealed about Astrid and Leslie, but some of it is still pretty vague. More will be revealed later on, so be patient.**

 **While on that topic, I'd prefer if any reviewers refrained from making negative comments about how Astrid is "stupid" for wanting to take down an entire organization herself, or how Kid has "immediately fallen in love with her," or really anything of the sort. Because later on, none of this will be the case, and things will change, etc. etc. don't wanna spoil too much. Again, _just be patient_. Any speculation or advice on how the issues/relationships/whatever will develop are welcome, though, just so long as you're not rude about it.**

 **Before I sign off, I'd like to add a few notes here, regarding the character and organization names:**

 **- _Astrid_ : I took her name from the Latin word " _astra_ ," meaning "star." Astrid is also a name derived from the Old Norse elements meaning "god" and "beautiful, beloved," but I prefer to lean more toward the former.**

 **- _Cura_ : (mentioned at the beginning of the prologue) Taken from the Latin word " _curator_ ," meaning "guardian, overseer."**

 **- _Aequitas Equitas_ : A Latin phrase meaning "justice."**

 **- _Virtus_ : Another Latin word meaning "strength."**

 **My sources for figuring out all this Latin may not have been the most reliable, but I hope the general points still get across. cx**

 **Also, to keep with the spirit of the Soul Eater series, I'm including some references in regards to pop culture and world history in this story, some more subtle than others. Anyone who can accurately point them out gets a dedication for the next chapter! ;D**

 **Okay, I'm done rambling. Please leave a review to let me know your thoughts! :D**

 **~Hayley**

 _ **Note: Please refer to the notice at the bottom of my profile before reviewing. Seriously. How can I improve if I don't get decent feedback?**_


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Yeeaahhh this is a little late, but this story has no followers anyway so I don't think I inconvenienced anyone.**

 **There's actually some action and shit in this chapter, so hopefully that and the changed summary will draw in some readers...**

 **Also, this chapter includes my first attempt at writing gore. It may not be the best description, but I still recommend proceeding with caution if it may make you uncomfortable.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: The Kishin From the Depths of the Sewer - Will Astrid Learn to Trust?**

In the dead of night, the only sounds that rang throughout Death City were the cackling of the three drunken young men who stumbled down the empty streets. There was no particular source of their hysterical laughter; everything and nothing seemed to amuse them in their intoxicated states, and they spouted nonsense between their fits of giggles.

"T-that party, man...!" the first man, a blonde with a bit of stubble on his chin, slurred to his friends. "There's only word one that can describe it: _cray-zy_."

His dark-haired friend burst into laughter again. "Dude... that's _two_ words, not one."

The third man, the redhead who appeared significantly younger than his adult companions, chuckled and took a long swig from his beer can. " _Whooa_ , man... I'm so drunk I can"— _hic_ —"hardly stand..." To emphasize his statement, he swayed side-to-side a bit as he trudged down the cobblestone street.

"How can you be _that_ drunk? You've been nursing that same beer since the party started!"

The two older men cackled, falling into each other. The younger boy's face flushed a light red, and he threw back the last bit of the alcoholic beverage in the can, randomly tossing it forward. "Shut the hell up, guys. You don't know how much I've had to drink..."

Too caught up in their stupor, the men didn't notice the chuckling moon in the night sky overhead, blood leaking from its grinning mouth—a clear sign of impending doom.

The aluminum can clunked across the cobblestone before rolling to a stop by the sidewalk, merely a couple inches from a sewer grate. As the trio neared it, an odd gurgling noise echoed from the darkness within.

The red-haired man stopped in his tracks, wide blue eyes slowly looking over at the grate. "G-guys...? Did you hear something come from down in the sewer?"

The laughter of his two companions didn't cease. "We didn't hear nothin'! There's nothing down there, you sissy little girl!"

"Yeah, what kind of shit did you smoke at the party, bro? Can you fix me up with some?"

As his friends stumbled about, cackling hysterically, the younger boy was rooted to his spot, watching the sewer with terrified eyes. Just as he was about to brush off his observance as an effect of the alcohol, he heard another sound—a loud snarl that echoed—and a pair of golden eyes suddenly appeared, gleaming in the deep darkness.

With a surprised shout, he stumbled back. "Guys, really! There's something down there!"

The older men continued laughing, blowing him off. The dark-haired one fell onto his side on the ground, his giggling fit not even ceasing. He rolled to the edge of the sidewalk, his head stopping right beside the sewer grate.

Then, a pale, grimy hand shot out from the deep darkness, snatching a fistful of his dark hair. The man's cackling made a smooth transition into a chorus of horrified shrieks that his friends joined in on.

The blonde and the redhead could only watch in terror as a second hand accompanied the first, this one tearing away at the skin on their friend's face with sharp fingernails. Blood gushed out from the wounds like thick red waterfalls. The victim's screams began to quiet down to helpless whimpers, his writhing ceasing as he hopelessly laid still and allowed the two hands to peel away the flesh on his face and neck.

In under a minute, the dark-haired man was unrecognizable, a mushy pile of blood and muscle tissue taking the place of what was once his head. His life had slipped away, leaving behind a light blue, glowing orb that drifted in the air above his body—only a mere trace of what he once was.

 _Run. We have to run..._ the two witnesses mutually thought, but their bodies couldn't follow the logical thought. Their bodies were frozen, paralyzed with fear. The blonde made an attempt to break into a sprint, but only managed to sway backward and fall onto his rear.

One of the bloodied hands reached out and snatched the soul. A figure then finally emerged from the sewer, slipping out with movements so fluid they rivaled a snake's. It appeared to be a female child, but the details of her appearance were too horrendous for her to be human. Its ghostly white skin was stained with dirt and grime, the same nasty substances covering the worn white gown that clung to its gangly form. Stringy black hair concealed its facial features and extended down to its waist.

It drew the soul in hand closer to its face; its mouth unhinged as it opened wide, revealing a set of giant, yellowed fangs. The creature swallowed the orb whole, letting out a low hiss.

The monster stood like a statue in its place. The blonde, regaining his senses a bit, slowly inched backward along the ground, trying to make his escape. But the slight movement caught the girl's attention, and its head snapped in his direction.

He barely had time to react before it scurried out of the sewer, appearing in front of him in the blink of an eye. Its hand snatched his ankle; his brown eyes met a single, glowing yellow one that peeked out from underneath its dark mass of hair.

The night was then filled with the sounds of agonized shrieks and vicious snarls. Overhead, the moon continued to snicker to itself, streams of crimson blood flowing from between its teeth.

* * *

Standing before the bathroom mirror, Astrid pulled the right half of her long, brown hair into its usual low pigtail, held by the circular, gravity-defying band. She adjusted it to make sure it was even with the left pigtail, then focused on fixing her bangs so they evenly hung down around her face.

She already donned her usual attire, and now that her hair was styled just right, she was prepared for her first official day at DWMA. Before she could turn away from the mirror, her pale purple eyes caught sight of her necklace in her reflection. The pale pink star pendant, the symbol of Aequitas Equitas, hung out in the open.

Astrid looked down at it, fingering the symbol between her index finger and thumb. A wave of anxiety washed over her as she examined it, the symbol bringing back memories of Lacuna and the dreadful thought of Virtus's oncoming arrival. And now, the thought of her mission brought back an unpleasant memory from the night before.

 _"Astrid... Sometimes Ah wonder if ya even trust me at all,"_ Leslie's words from the night before echoed.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, her fist enclosing around the pendant. _I_ do _trust Leslie,_ she told herself. _I just... cannot muster the courage to tell him of my mission. I do not wish for him to fear for his life, or cause him any pain..._

"Hey, Astrid."

Leslie's voice from the doorway snapped her back to reality. She faced him, finding him fully dressed and grinning, leaning with his arm propped against the wooden door frame. The Weapon was always an early riser—possibly because he awoke at the crack of dawn every day when he still lived on his family's farm in Kansas—so she wasn't surprised at all to find him fully prepared and raring to go. However, his joyous attitude after their small dispute the previous night struck her as a bit odd.

 _It_ is _possible that he forgot all about it... Typical._ "Good morning, Leslie. Did you sleep well?"

"Yup! Ya ready fer our first day of school?"

Astrid nodded. "Yes. Let us head out. I do not wish to be late on such an important day."

"Right! Let's go!" The Weapon bolted out the door, his heavy footsteps along the way making the entire apartment shake.

She exhaled, opening her fist to look at the Aequitas Equitas symbol one last time. _I would hate to kill that happiness by informing him of everything... So, when the timing is right, I will tell him._ Comforted by her own thoughts, she slipped the necklace behind the tight bodice of her dress and followed her partner.

* * *

Before heading to class, Maka, Soul, Black Star, and Tsubaki stood before the bulletin board, their eyes scanning over each card that detailed the missions available to the students.

"Hey, Black Star, how about this one?" Tsubaki pointed to a card right before their eyes, the words upon it detailing a notorious thief that stole the souls of the innocent in a small village.

Black Star scoffed at the idea, though he barely even glanced at the card. "No way! That sounds _way_ too easy! I wanna go on the hardest mission we can get, so I can prove to everyone how big of a star I am."

His partner let out a nervous chuckle. "We can always work our way up to that, you know..."

"You might not wanna talk so big, Black Star," Soul commented, shooting him a shark-tooth-clad grin. "Maka and I might be surpassing you sometime soon!"

Maka giggled, nodding in agreement. "That's right! We're getting pretty close to ninety-nine Kishin souls again, which means he's just a few steps closer to becoming a Death Scythe."

The light-blue-haired Meister snickered. "Well, I'll admit that you guys _are_ pretty awesome, but there's no way you'll surpass me. Buuut, if you're successful in making Soul a Death Scythe this time, then maybe we can at least stand shoulder-to-shoulder. I don't mind sharing my spotlight if it's with you two!"

"Er... thanks, Black Star. I guess..." Maka's eyebrow twitched as she tried to decide if his words should be taken as a compliment. Her facial features softened when a card pinned to a high spot on the bulletin board caught her attention. "Oh, hey, Soul, what about this one?" she asked, pointing.

Soul craned his neck, trying to get a closer look. "Huh... It says there's a Kishin that dwells in the sewer systems running beneath Death City. Takes the form of a young girl and murders people late at night, devouring their souls..." His body trembled slightly. "Ugh, that's creepy as hell."

"Wait a minute..." The Meister squinted, examining what looked like smaller text at the bottom of the card. "It says here... that _two_ Weapon and Meister teams should go on this mission. I guess this Kishin's just _that_ dangerous..."

"Hey, maybe the four of us could go together?" Tsubaki suggested. With a small smile, her dark blue eyes flickered from Maka and Soul to her Meister, checking for his approval. And judging by the grin plastered on his face, he actually seemed fond of the idea.

"Yeah, it will be awesome!" Black Star slammed his fist into the open palm of his opposite hand. "We can even make a fun little competition out of it."

Maka cleared her throat. "As much as I _love_ that idea," she said, a hint of sarcasm in her words, "I was actually thinking of asking Astrid and Leslie to go with us."

" _Whaaaaaaat_?" Soul and Black Star questioned in unison, their faces transitioning to displeased expressions.

Confusion in her green eyes, Maka cocked her head. "Yeah...? It's their first day at the academy today, and I want to make sure they feel welcome. Is that a problem?"

Soul cringed. "It's just... Astrid's kinda weird and distant, ya know? It'd be awkward tagging along with her."

"And don't even get me started on that stupid farm boy," Black Star added. Folding his muscular arms across his chest, he muttered, "Freakin' jackass..."

The female Meister huffed, placing her fists on her hips. "Whatever... Soul, you're being too judgmental. Let's just go on the mission with them. It will go just fine, trust me. You'll like Astrid if you get to know her a little better."

"But—!"

Maka jabbed her index finger in his face, cutting him off. "Your Meister has made a decision, and you should accept it."

Soul glared at her for a moment before rolling his red eyes, giving in to her demand. _There's no point in arguing with her. Learned that a long time ago..._ "Fine. I'll play along."

"Good," the Meister replied with a proud smile. "I'll find her before class starts and ask her. Hopefully she says yes!"

* * *

"No."

Maka flinched back slightly, green eyes wide with awe. Astrid didn't even hesitate for a single moment after the scythe Meister had asked her question. "W-what...?"

"I am declining your request," the extraterrestrial repeated, enunciating each syllable as if Maka were of significantly lower intelligence—which managed to spark a tiny bit of rage deep within her.

"A-Astrid..." Leslie muttered beside her, shooting her a slightly exasperated look.

Clearing her throat, Maka regained her cool composure, shooting a friendly grin at the new students. "Are you sure about that? I mean, don't you wanna think it over? As new students, your main priority should be going on missions and collecting souls."

"Of course, Leslie and I intend to do just that while enrolled here at DWMA," Astrid replied. "I simply prefer to do so alone, with no one else getting in my way."

Maka's face fell, and her shoulders slumped. "O-oh... Okay, then..."

Suddenly, Leslie roughly grabbed his Meister's shoulders. "Sorry, Maka, but Ah gotta talk to Astrid real quick..." he said, shooting the light-brown-haired Meister an awkward, toothy grin. He then lifted the extraterrestrial girl effortlessly, as if she were merely a lightweight doll, and rushed in the opposite direction. Setting her down about a few feet away from Maka, he leaned down to meet his shorter partner at eye level. "Astrid, Ah think you should really think about acceptin' dis mission."

"Why is that?"

"W-well... we really need to train fer yer own really important mission, right? And we can only do dat if we go on lots of smaller missions, so we should be takin' every opportunity!"

"Yes, I am aware of that. And as I just said, I would prefer to do so alone."

Leslie sighed. "B-but what's wrong with goin' on missions with other teams? Things would be a lot easier with someone backin' ya up. And plus, ya could become friends with—"

"Leslie, I told you," Astrid interrupted, her emotionless voice gaining an icy edge, "I do not care to befriend anyone here at DWMA."

A stabbing feeling struck Maka's heart. "S-seriously...?"

The extraterrestrial continued: "Besides, going on missions with another team would hold me back more than help me. They would be nothing more than a nuisance."

 _Stab._ Maka felt as if her mind and body both went numb from the girl's coldness.

"Astrid, c'mon, just—"

 _DING DONG, DEAD DONG._

Leslie's pleas were cut off by the sound of the bell, signaling the start of class. Astrid pivoted on her heel, heading in the opposite direction. "This discussion is over," she stated. "We must head to class now, Leslie."

The Weapon let out a defeated sigh, turning to face the scythe Meister with a small smile. "Sorry, Maka... Ah'll try mah best to talk 'er into goin' with ya!"

" _Leslie_."

"Comin'!" With a slight jump, he bolted after Astrid, leaving behind a stunned Maka.

* * *

"So, how did asking Astrid about the mission go?" Soul peered up at his Meister with one open red eye, the rest of his face buried in his folded arms atop the desk.

Maka sighed, propping her elbows on the desk and resting her face in her open palms. "It was a total bust... Even Leslie tried talking her into it, but she just doesn't want to."

"Did she give any reason why?" Tsubaki asked. She turned in her seat to face Soul and Maka in the row behind her, her dark blue eyes giving attention to the younger girl as she absent-mindedly shook her snoring Meister in the seat beside her.

"Well..." She heaved another sigh. "She said she didn't care about making friends here at DWMA, and that teaming up with others is a 'nuisance.'"

The white-haired Weapon scoffed. "Well, that's cold. What the hell's her problem?"

"H-hey, maybe she's just shy...?" Tsubaki suggested with a nervous giggle. "I'm sure she didn't mean it like that..."

"Astrid seems like a fairly straight-forward person," Kid piped in, two seats down from Black Star. Tearing his yellow eyes away from the open book on his desk for a brief moment, he glanced at the extraterrestrial Meister and her hulking Weapon seated in the front row of the classroom. "So, if something she says comes off as rude, that's most likely her intention. She's emotionally distant, not shy."

Soul shifted his position, leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the desk. "She just seems straight-up arrogant to me..."

Seated between Black Star and Kid, Liz sat back to admire the freshly-polished nails on her left hand. "Do you think everyone from her planet acts like that?" She gently blew on the wet black paint, dipping the brush back in the bottle. "Or, alien girls are probably a lot more complicated than human girls..."

The younger Thompson sister giggled from Kid's opposite side. "The Martians are so weird!"

"You know she's not from Mars, right?" the sisters' Meister asked, his eyebrow twitching with his growing annoyance.

Tsubaki sighed. "Maka, maybe you should just give up on trying to recruit Astrid for this mission, since it seems like it'll be too much trouble. Black Star and I will go on the mission with you!"

"Huh...?" The sleeping assassin's eyelids flung open at the mention of his name.

"Sorry, Tsubaki, but I've already set my mind to this, and now I have to see it through." Maka's posture straightened in her seat. Smiling, she clenched her fist before her to show her determination. "I'll just have to keep trying to convince Astrid!"

Her Weapon smirked. "Alright. And how do you plan to go about asking her this time?"

She froze as she was, standing stiff as a statue as her friends stared her down, awaiting her answer. Her mind drew a blank. She slumped forward, her forehead smacking against the wooden desktop. "I don't know..." she whimpered. "I can't think of anything..."

"Well, since being friendly and asking nicely didn't get you anywhere," Kid said, "you should consider trying a different approach. If she comes off as rather conceited, then flattery and praise would probably be the best way to convince her."

 _Flattery and praise..._ Maka considered the idea, rolling her head to the side. She caught a glimpse of Astrid and Leslie in the front row, seemingly discussing something: Leslie's hands and limbs flailed around as he rambled with a grin upon his face, while Astrid focused on him with her usual deadpan expression. _Maybe I_ could _try that._

* * *

"Maka, you look like a total stalker right now," Soul growled. He stood far off to the side of the hall, as far away from his Meister as he could possibly get, as she peered in through the window on the door. The sign pasted on the wall beside it read: _'Training Room.'_

"I prefer to call it 'observing,'" Maka retorted, head tilting back and forth as she scanned the room for her person of interest through the small glass.

"You've pretty much been obsessing over Astrid ever since she rejected your request this morning. This is _stalking_ , Maka. You've read the Webster dictionary from cover to cover about eight times now. You should know that!"

" _Shhhh_! I can see her now…"

The scythe heaved a sigh. "Nothing about this is cool…"

Maka rolled her green eyes at him before returning her attention to the extraterrestrial Meister inside the room. She stood before the targets lined up along the wall, Leslie at her side. After a bit of inaudible banter, the large boy's body began to glow in an intense orange light.

 _Oh, that's right… I haven't seen Leslie's Weapon form yet. I don't think anyone has…_ Intrigued, the Meister leaned forward until her nose was pressed up against the glass. _The rumors around school called him an "odd Weapon." What kind of Weapon could he be, then?_

Leslie's human form sprang upward, shifting into a smaller shape that spun several times in the air before landing in Astrid's grasp. The orange light then faded, revealing the gray, pistol-like Weapon.

" _Whoa_!"

"What's wrong?" Soul jolted across the hallway to meet his partner, craning his neck to sneak a peek around her head. She stepped aside to let him take a look; red eyes bulging and mouth agape, he turned to meet Maka's matching expression. "W-whoa, that's… Leslie's Weapon form?"

"You've never seen a Weapon like that before?"

Soul shook his head. "No, never… What is that? Some type of gun?"

The Meister shrugged, opening her mouth to give an uncertain reply. Then a gunshot rang out.

The duo returned their attention to inside the room, their faces pressed tightly together so they could both get a good look through the tiny window.

Astrid had the peculiar Weapon held out before her, the bullet hole smoking, the Kishin-shaped target directly before her now containing a small hole burned in the center of one vertical eye. Her shoulders rose and fell with a single breath she took in, and she yanked the trigger, a shining ball of orange energy blasting at the target's second eye—striking it dead-center.

After landing the third eye on the target, she swiftly moved on the next one. The time intervals between her fired shots became shorter, her time to shoot all three eyes taking only twenty seconds compared to the thirty seconds she took on the previous one. And with the next target, ten seconds, and so on as she made her way down the line.

She moved with swift fluidity between each target, her body changing position and angle with each pull of the trigger. Performing back flips, bending backwards, shooting over her shoulder—she clearly wasn't afraid of pushing her body's limits, Maka noted mentally.

Astrid then came to a stop after the finally target. Her eyes scanned over the targets; Maka and Soul subconsciously mimicked with their own pairs of wide eyes, observing her work.

On every single target, each of the three eyes had holes burned through the pupils.

"Whoa…" Soul muttered.

"Her skills really _are_ amazing," Maka said. "Her aim is spot-on, her flexibility and speed are impressive as well…" A determined smile stretched across her face. _Which is perfect! Now I have material to use for my flattery method of persuasion._

Both the Weapon and Meister jumped when Astrid suddenly whirled around, pale purple eyes eyeing them through the window.

"Did she know we were here the whole time?!" Soul asked.

Maka cleared her throat and took hold of the door knob. "Act natural and follow my lead, okay…?" With a cheerful smile— _A bit_ too _cheerful,_ Soul noted—she threw the door open and entered the room, her Weapon treading on her heels.

" _Hey_!" Leslie's voice bellowed as his Weapon form shone in a bright orange hue, lurching from Astrid's grasp as he shifted back into a human. "It's you guys! What're ya'll doin' here?"

"Hey…!" the scythe Meister replied with a wave as she and Soul approached the duo of new students. "Well, we were just passing by when we saw you guys training, and I just wanted to say—"

"Well, it's great dat ya stopped by!" Leslie interrupted. He turned to Astrid. "Astrid, why don't ya tell dem what we were talkin' 'bout earlier?"

Astrid nodded solemnly. She faced Maka, who gazed back at her with curious green eyes. "I took the time to consider your request from earlier, and I have changed my decision. Leslie and I will accompany you on this mission."

Maka and Soul's eyes widened. "Seriously?"

The extraterrestrial nodded again. "I figured going on this mission will be helpful practice for us."

Leslie scoffed. " _You_ figured? Yeah, right! Ah spent _aaaaalllll_ day tryin' to tell ya dat it will be good practice, but—"

Astrid's pale purple eyes met his, and the tiny glint of fury within them made him shut his mouth. He turned away with an irritated huff, folding his arms over his chest.

"What do ya know?" Soul muttered to his Meister. "You didn't even need to flatter her after all…"

Maka giggled before returning her attention to Astrid. "Thanks so much, Astrid! We'll meet you after sunset to take care of this Kishin together!"

* * *

The streets of Death City were eerily quiet as the two teams patrolled the area, their footsteps against the cobblestone echoing into the silent night.

"Yo, Maka," Soul spoke up, "if the Kishin hangs around in the sewers, then why are we just wandering in circles like this?"

Breaking out of her concentration, Maka opened her eyes to glance back at her Weapon partner. "We're not going to head into the sewage system just yet, Soul. The sewers are too extensive, and not to mention dark, and we can't make much progress that way. So, my plan is to track the Kishin's soul, and when it's close, we'll head underground to face it."

"That method seems effective," Astrid commented.

"Thanks, Astrid!" Maka giggled, focusing her Soul Perception on the souls in the surrounding area once again. "Hey, if you could maybe try to sense the Kishin as well, that would be really helpful. That way, we could track it down a lot faster."

The extraterrestrial averted her eyes to her feet. "Actually, I… am unable to use Soul Perception. That ability is extremely rare among my race."

"O-oh… I see. Sorry about that!"

Falling about ten steps behind their Meisters, Soul and Leslie ambled along, disinterested eyes wandering around.

"So," Soul said in an effort to strike up a conversation, "what's with your Meister, anyway?"

Leslie faced him, confusion in his dark brown eyes. "What d'ya mean?"

The white-haired boy shrugged. "You know, with the way she's so cold and arrogant. Any idea why she's like that?"

After a moment of staring at him, Leslie chortled. "Nah, ya got it all wrong! Astrid's not really cold or anythin' like dat."

"Really?"

"Yep, it's da truth. Ah guess da better way to describe her would be… serious, stubborn, and uptight."

Soul chuckled. "When you put it that way, she sounds kinda like _my_ Meister."

"Hey, I heard that!" Maka's shrill voice responded—but her yelling didn't even faze him.

"Whatever…"

The large boy cackled. "Ah guess dey are kinda alike…" After a long minute of gazing vacantly ahead, he quietly added, "Ah mean, Astrid is kinda hard to understand. Hell, _Ah_ don't even understand her as much as Ah'd like to. But when she really warms up to ya, she can be a purdy great person to be with."

Soul's red eyes focused on Leslie for a moment, then flickered to Astrid's back in front of him. "Is that so…?"

Maka suddenly froze in her tracks, green eyes growing wide.

"Somethin' wrong?" Leslie asked, his own body tensing.

"The Kishin's nearby. About 20 yards away from this spot." The scythe Meister's eyes scanned the surrounding area before landing upon a manhole cover in the center of the street ahead of them. Beckoning her companions to follow, she rushed over to it, sinking to her knees and digging her gloved fingers between cold metal and cobblestone to grasp the edges of the cover. With a grunt, she lifted it with all her might, flinging it to the side.

The four surrounded the uncovered hole, peering down into the darkness with wary eyes.

"So… a Kishin that looks like a little girl, who crawls around the sewers beneath Death City and comes out to kill whoever's unfortunate enough to be passing by." Soul glanced at his Meister. "That's our target, right?"

"Right," Maka replied with a nod. "Keep your guards up at all times. It's rare for a mission to call for two teams to complete it… which must mean this Kishin's extremely dangerous."

Leslie whimpered.

"Astrid, follow my lead." Maka looked to the extraterrestrial, then Soul. "Soul, Weapon form."

"Got it." A pale blue light overcame his entire body as he morphed into his Demon Scythe form. Maka snatched the handle in her gloved hands as the glow subsided, twirling the Weapon once in an expert fashion.

She shot a stern glance at Astrid and Leslie before rising to her feet and slipping into the hole, carefully descending the metal ladder leading down into the dark sewer system.

"Leslie," Astrid ordered, extending her hand. "Transform."

The tall boy gulped. He wrapped his arms around himself in an effort to cease his trembling. "Uh… On second thought, Astrid, A-Ah don't think Ah can do dis…"

The Meister's eyes narrowed. "Why are you having doubts now? It was you who convinced me to agree to this mission."

"Y-yeah, but… Ah didn't know dat dis Kishin was gonna be so scary at da time…"

"Quitting now because of your petty fears is not an option. I can assure you that we have dealt with much worse in the past, with no trouble at all."

"But—"

"Astrid?" Maka's voice echoed from the darkness below. "You guys need to get down here, quickly!"

Astrid let out a short huff of air before directing her attention back to her Weapon. "Leslie, transform this instant."

He remained silent, unmoving, for a few moments. Then, with a defeated sigh, his body relaxed as he gave in to his Meister's demands. "Fine…" Gleaming in a harsh orange light, his body shrank and sprang into her open hand. Once the glow faded to unveil Leslie's odd, pistol-like form, she hurried down the manhole.

Astrid's dark blue boots immediately plopped into ankle-high sewage water when she stepped off the bottom peg of the ladder. She cringed at the awful stench that invaded her nostrils.

Only a small circle of light from the streetlights above allowed them to see, but beyond that, the underground tunnels were pitch black. All was silent, aside from the occasional _plop_ of dripping water and the sloshing of Astrid and Maka's feet in the greenish-brown water.

Astrid turned to face Maka, finding the other girl focusing on Leslie in her hand.

"Might I ask what kind of Weapon Leslie is?" she inquired.

"I prefer to call him a Demon Phaser," Astrid explained, raising him and twisting her wrist to give her fellow Meister a good view.

"A... phaser?"

"Yes. It is a type of Weapon that is common on my home planet." The extraterrestrial girl ran her fingers along the dull gray surface of Leslie's barrel. "You could say it is a somewhat more advanced version of a pistol."

Maka smiled, a soft giggle rumbling in her throat. "Neat." Her fascinated expression quickly shifted into a grim look when her head suddenly jerked to the side, gazing into the darkness of the tunnel. Adjusting her position into a fighting stance, she raised the scythe in front of her in defense. "The Kishin's coming. It must've sensed us down here, and it's heading this way."

The Demon Phaser whimpered as Astrid's arm straightened out before her, her index finger nudging the trigger in preparation.

Slow, distant sloshing sounds echoed deep in the darkness ahead of them, growing closer, becoming quicker and louder as they neared. And the two Meisters held up their guards, trembling slightly with anticipation.

"It's right in front of us…" Maka whispered.

Just then, the approaching sounds stopped, falling into silence.

The scythe Meister gasped, lowering her Weapon a little. "Wha—"

A figure lunged at her from the shadows with swift speed, snarling viciously. Maka shrieked in surprise as yellowed fangs clamped down on Soul's handle; she hastily flung the scythe, tossing the monster away as she stumbled back.

"What the hell?!" Leslie cried.

A splash echoed as the monster skidded across the ground and back into the darkness. After recovering, it prowled back into the dim light like a wildcat hunting its prey. Glaring, golden eyes gleamed underneath a curtain of dark, stringy hair.

Soul gulped. "Holy shit, that thing's even creepier than I imagined…"

"Ah wanna go home…!" Leslie whined, shivering.

Readying her Weapon, Maka backed away, determined eyes staring down the approaching Kishin. "Astrid, I'll attack it at close range, and you can—"

 _Pew pew pew._ Before Maka could even finish her statement, Astrid was already firing quick blasts at the enemy. The orange blasts narrowly missed the feral monster as it rolled and leaped against the damp stone walls to avoid each attack.

 _Good, it's distracted._ Maka ran ahead of the extraterrestrial. "Alright! Keep backing me up, and I'll—"

Another ball of energy splitting the air made the Kishin jump from its spot on the wall, throwing off Maka's focus. She froze and turned to Astrid in confusion, but the girl sprinted past her, continuing to shoot at the Kishin.

"She's not listening, Maka!" Soul growled. "I knew from the start this would be a bad idea."

"Be quiet, okay? We'll make this work somehow." The scythe Meister inhaled deeply, letting the breath out slowly to cool herself down. Her green eyes then warily watched the Kishin as it scrambled around the tunnel to avoid Astrid's attacks.

One blast grazed the monster's shoulder, knocking it to the ground. When it regained its footing and prepared to spring at the phaser-wielding Meister, that's when Maka saw her chance.

She raced through the murky water, scythe drawn back in preparation to strike. The Kishin let out an inhuman shriek, leaping for Astrid's throat. Maka swung her Weapon at its airborne body.

The blade sliced through the empty air. Startled, Maka stumbled to keep her balance, blinking in confusion. The Kishin was now collapsed against the wall, hissing, a bruise on its left cheek where Astrid struck it with Leslie.

"Astrid, I almost had it!" Maka shrieked, glowering at the extraterrestrial girl.

"Well, I have the enemy cornered _now_ ," Astrid said, directing her Weapon at the fallen Kishin. "I chased it down and incapacitated it with two attacks. And what have _you_ been doing this entire time?"

Frustrated, the scythe Meister growled. "Trying to cooperate with _you_! I'm fine with going through with whatever plan you have, but you have to let me in on it!"

"Does it matter now? I handled the situation without you having to do anything. Now, this Kishin's soul is—" Astrid returned her attention back to the target, only to find it nowhere in sight.

"Gone…" Soul heaved a sigh of annoyance.

"It's gone back to hiding in the darkness," Maka said. She stood still, focusing on tracking the monster's soul. "It's moving quickly and erratically; it's kinda throwing me off… Wait. It's heading—"

An ear-shattering snarl ripped through the silence as the Kishin emerged from the dark shadows once again, lunging for the unsuspecting Astrid. Shocked, she whirled around, coming face-to-face with the monstrous girl, whose knife-like fangs were bared in preparation to tear into her.

 _Clang._ The yellowed set of teeth clasped onto the handle of the Demon Scythe, as well as Maka's first three fingers on her left hand. She cried out in agony as she fought against the squirming Kishin. With the sole of her boot, she kicked it in the abdomen, sending it flying back into the darkness.

" _Maka_!" Soul cried.

Leslie whimpered. "Maka, yer hand…!"

Panting, Maka glanced down at her hand. Half of her white glove was torn off, revealing the skin where a single curve of deep puncture wounds were present. Blood seeped rapidly from each individual cut, soaking what remained of her glove and dripping down the lengths of her fingers, off the tips, and plopping into the water below. The pain that overcame her entire arm made her wince, but she clenched her injured hand into a fist in an effort to ignore it.

Astrid stared at the blood with wide, pale purple eyes. "Maka, I—"

" _I'm fine_!" the human girl snapped. She looked at Astrid over her shoulder, revealing the grave scowl that her face wore. "Do you see now?! If we wanna get through this, we have to work together! You can't do this on your own, Astrid! _You have to trust me_!"

Astrid stared back at her, mouth agape. She then swallowed and gave a brief nod in response. "Alright. Whatever plan you have in mind, I will follow it."

Through her agony, Maka forced a smile. "Awesome." Hearing distant splashing down the tunnel, she redirected her attention to the Kishin. "You can use Soul Resonance, right?"

"Yes."

"Hell yeah, we can!" Leslie replied.

"Perfect! Stay right here." Maka bolted in the other direction, stopping at the other side of the circle of light from above. She pivoted on her heel in place, her scythe held out in defense. "The Kishin's heading your way! Activate Soul Resonance, now!"

Astrid nodded, clutching Leslie's phaser form in both hands. "Right. Get ready, Leslie."

The boy grinned. "Got'cha! Soul Resonance, _let's go_!"

Their soul wavelengths synchronized instantly, and they both could feel the energy surging through their bodies. A light blue glow overcame both the Weapon and the Meister; an orange hue overcame Leslie as his phaser form elongated in Astrid's hands. When the light of their souls vanished, Astrid grasped a Weapon resembling a double-barreled hunting rifle, with a dull gray coloration, dark red, four-pointed stars on either side of the barrel, and rings drifting around the length of the barrel and the butt of rifle. The Meister adjusted the new form in her hands, one hand resting at the trigger and the other steadying the barrel as she aimed it into the darkness.

" _Dodge_!" Maka ordered.

Astrid obliged, leaping to the left as the Kishin sprang from the shadows. The butt of the rifle connected with its temple with an audible _crack_ , and the impact sent it soaring into the wall of the tunnel. It recovered immediately, scurrying through the sewage water toward Astrid. Swiftly flipping her Weapon around, she yanked the trigger back, two orange streaks shooting at the monster. It skipped to the side, avoiding it by mere centimeters. The Meister continued firing blasts and the Kishin continued dodging in this fashion, until it closed in on her and pounced.

Astrid flipped the rifle sideways to block the beastly girl's fangs. She struggled to keep it at bay as it gnawed along the length of Leslie's Weapon form, feet kicking at her chest.

"Knock it off, ya damn freak!" the Weapon cried, grimacing. "Dat feels weird!"

"Astrid," Maka called, her own Weapon drawn back, "throw it here!"

Hesitating, the extraterrestrial glanced from the Kishin to her ally standing several feet away. Then, in one fluid motion, she released one end of the rifle and twirled in a quick circle. With a flick of her wrist, she hurled the monster in Maka's direction.

Her green eyes narrowed in on the soaring beast. "Ready, Soul?"

"Ready."

"Let's go, Soul Resonance!"

In a burst of blue light, the wavelengths of their individual souls synced, the powerful energy it produced flowing through both of their bodies. As Soul's scythe form began to gleam, his red and black blade grew larger, shifting into a crescent shape. Swinging with all her might, Maka slashed through the Kishin's lower body.

" _Witch Hunter_!"

The Kishin let out a pained shriek, the upper half of its body sent flying back toward Astrid, as its legs and shredded gown tumbled uselessly into the sewage water.

Aiming her Weapon, Astrid pulled the trigger and fired a blast of dual streaks at the target, it's orange light illuminating the dark cavern. " _Shooting Star Blast_ …!"

The twin lasers ripped through the monster's face. It's body turned into black ribbons that unraveled quickly, vanishing into thin air. A red soul drifted in its place.

" _Phew_ …!" Leslie huffed as he shifted back into his human form. His heavy body leaned against Astrid, nearly knocking her into the water. "Good thang dat's over…"

His Meister gently shoved him away. "You did an amazing job, Leslie. That Soul Resonance technique harbored incredible power."

"Aww, ya really think so?" His cheeks burned a light shade of pink as a proud grin stretched across his face.

"Maka, are you alright?!"

Soul's concerned voice caught their attention. The Demon Scythe, back in human form, held Maka against his body. The color was completely drained from her face, her expression twisted with pain as she clutched at her bloody hand. Though several minutes had passed, fresh blood still seeped from her wounds, dripping into the water below and staining it a deep red.

"Oh, man," Leslie said as he and Astrid rushed to their allies' side. "Dat looks really bad…"

"She looks like she's about to pass out," the white-haired boy said, a hint of panic in his voice. "I don't think we can make it back to the academy in time…"

Guilt resonated inside Astrid as she observed Maka's injury. _We defeated the Kishin thanks to Maka, and she was wounded because of my own arrogance… The least I could do is help her in this situation._ She stepped forward, tenderly holding her hands out over the other girl's. "If you will permit me, I think I can heal this wound…"

"Sure, go for it. If ya think you can really do it…"

Moving the scythe Meister's good hand, Astrid gently wrapped her hands around the wound, making her wince. Slowly, the extraterrestrial inhaled, then exhaled. A pale purple light emanated from her hands, enveloping Maka's.

"Whoa…" Soul's red eyes bulged as the puncture wounds in Maka's hand closed up before his eyes. "That's _really_ cool."

"Ah know, right?" Leslie squealed, watching with excitement. "Mah Meister's cool alien powers come in handy, don't dey?"

A soft moan escaped Maka's lips as the last bleeding wound healed. Just as she was growing comfortable with the soothing sensation, it stopped when Astrid's hands fell away.

The extraterrestrial girl panted, her eyes drooping with exhaustion. "I believe that is the most I can heal you… My healing abilities drain my energy, which is why I rarely use them."

"Oh, don't worry! It helped a lot." Awe-stricken, Maka opened and closed her hand, observing the tiny, inconspicuous scars where the Kishin's teeth had sunk into her skin. If it wasn't for the blood that still clung to her skin as it slowly dried, she wouldn't have remembered that there was even a wound in the first place. "Thanks so much, Astrid!"

Astrid gave a solemn nod in response.

"Well, now that that's taken care of..." Soul piped in, stepping away from the three of them. He approached the Kishin soul that still drifted in the air, snatching it in his hand and presenting it to them. "We have another problem on our hands: _one_ soul for _two_ teams, who both took equal part in earning it."

Maka rubbed at her chin, racking her brain for a possible solution. "Oh… That is kind of a problem."

"Hey, Ah have an idea!" Leslie rushed over to Soul and took the red orb from his hand, dangling it by its wispy tail. "Soul, use yer scythe blade to split dis in half, so we can share it. Dat way, everyone wins!"

A shark-tooth grin stretched across the scythe's face. "I like the way you think, Leslie." Instantly, his forearm transformed into a curved, red and black blade.

"That won't work, you morons!" Maka shouted. "Stop, before you destroy a perfectly good soul!"

With a groan, Soul's arm returned to normal.

"Maka," Astrid said, "you and Soul can keep it. It was your plan that helped us earn it, after all."

The scythe Meister giggled anxiously. "Thanks, Astrid, but I really think you deserve it more. You delivered the finishing blow."

Astrid simply shook her head. "No. I honestly do not have a good use for it. I am fully focused on my own personal mission, and collecting souls is not necessarily a primary goal in regards to it."

"Not gonna argue with that," Soul said. He snatched the Kishin soul back from Leslie, slurping it down in one gulp. A satisfied sigh escaped his lips as it slithered down his throat.

" _Soul_!"

"Hey, you two stubborn idiots would be arguing all night about it! Astrid insisted, anyway."

The taller Weapon chortled.

"Well," Maka breathed, stretching her arms above her head, "we should be getting out of these nasty sewers and heading home now. It's really late, and we all have to be at school first thing in the morning."

"Yes, that would be best."

"Good. I can't stand this smell anymore."

"Man, Ah'm tired… Can't wait to be home in mah comfy bed after all dis..."

Silently, the four of them started for the ladder leading out of the manhole. Maka's hand grasped one of the pegs, and she froze.

"Hey, quick question, before we go…"

Soul groaned. "What now?"

The Meister glared daggers at him before facing Astrid and Leslie, beaming. "You guys wanna sit with us at lunch tomorrow?"

" _Hell yeah_!" the dark-orange-haired boy hollered, his loud enthusiasm in the echoing tunnel making his younger companions jump. He then glanced at his extraterrestrial partner, his face falling automatically. "Er, Ah mean… if Astrid wants to, den Ah guess Ah will, too."

Three pairs of eyes were suddenly on Astrid. Her mouth fell open. _I promised myself that I would not befriend anyone at Death Weapon Meister Academy. But..._ She swallowed the lump in her throat, pushing aside her hesitation. "Yes, I would like to. As long as your other companions are fine with the idea…"

"Of course they are!" Maka replied with a giggle. "Right, Soul?"

The white-haired teen cracked a smile. "I know I'm cool with it."

"So it's settled!" The scythe Meister giggled, beginning to make her way up the ladder. "Then, we'll see you guys tomorrow at school!"

Astrid nodded. "Yes, we will…"

She wished she could feel the same joy that Maka expressed. That was the way one typically felt when they befriended someone new, right...? Instead, a heavy anxiety weighed down on her, making it hard to breathe.

All she could foresee for her new companions in the future was danger.

 _ **To be continued...**_

* * *

 **A/N: That's probably the most detailed Soul Eater battle I've ever written, and also my first that includes the Soul Resonance techniques. Hope it turned out well! :)**

 **Little fun fact: I based the sewer-dwelling Kishin off of Samara Morgan/Sadoko Yamamura from the _Ring_ movies. But instead of being in a well, she's in a sewer. Heh.**

 **Also, I created a profile on this website called Charahub, and I have profiles for all of my OCs so far posted. I have the profiles for Astrid and Leslie up, and I even drew some concept art for them. The link's on my profile, if you wanna check it out!**

 **Thank you if you took the time to read this story! Please leave a review to tell me your thoughts! :)**

 **~Hayley**

 _ **Note: Please read the notice on my profile before reviewing.**_


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